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Do you think those people calling for a lockdown in Japan have secure jobs and income?

41 Comments
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41 Comments
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I think they might think they do. But lockdown or not, there are very few jobs that are really secure at this time. Things can change in an instant.

20 ( +24 / -4 )

If your income depends on it, you would be far less likely to be asking for it.

If you would get paid or compensated by the government, its more acceptable.

15 ( +19 / -4 )

Aged and retired people, a high risk group yet being secured with lucrative pensions, might opt for hard lockdowns for own health safety and without serious considerations of other (working age) co-nationals whose livelihood is under threat. Solidarity and mutual cooperation across generations are threatened.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Covid has been devastating for my business, and I want a definitive end to it, ASAP.

Half-@ssed measures won't deliver that.

21 ( +24 / -3 )

Why are you even asking such intentionally divisive questions in the first place, JT?

The whole point is, that if we can't get the infection levels down and the virus in control, NO business will eventually be able to continue, as people can't use any services when they're sick, because they're out of money because of being sick and paying for hospital bills, or because they're afraid they'll get sick .

With a more strict and effective SOE we could get to a better situation much more quickly, in everyone's favour.

The whole point is, that the government should aid those who would temporarily suffer from a SOE.

I don't have a secure job and income, but am praying and pleading (and I never pray), that this government would finally actually DO something.

(And P.S. - the possibly upcoming new SOE is a joke, a charade - closing bars 2h earliers is not going to do anything.)

7 ( +15 / -8 )

I have secure job, and my bank balance may hurt a bit. Still I appeal for lockdown (with stricter measures of course) Health is most important.

-1 ( +10 / -11 )

In my opinion, not exactly a secure job and income, but those that are able to work remotely and those that are already retired. Those that can't work remotely like kitchen and convenience store staff will most likely not call for stricter lockdowns since it will affect their jobs the most compared to IT guys that can work virtually where there is a table and internet connection.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I voted 'I don't know'. How would I?

Anyway, this not a divisive issue that should pit the stable against the part timers.

It is the Governments duty to provide assistance and ensure public health. If the Government is unable, or in Japan's case unwilling (due to 'O') to do so...and the responsibility falls entirely on the public, then I would argue we no longer need a Government at all.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

I do not work and enjoy coughing out ¥ to keep businesses afloat. I do keep away from Ramen shops though as the slurping scares me, and of course avoid places that allow smoking as you can see the virus particles dancing in the smog as they exhale it out.

No lock down vote for me. Just common sense, and force joggers to run in the streets rather than panting out their hot air and potential virus particles on all of us wearing masks and walking. Joggers are selfish.

-9 ( +3 / -12 )

I have a secure job and income, and I am against a lockdown, which accomplish little or nothing other than wrecking businesses.

One thing I did write several times during the summer was that we should decrease the measures during the summer to increase the immunity of the general population in order to weaken the winter wave. I am now even more convinced this was a good idea.

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

Herd immunity?

Yeah, sort of.

Basically, my opinion at the time was that the only reason to completely or partially shut down businesses was to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. This was back when cases were very low and vaccines were expected to be years away.

Vaccines are round the corner, but I haven't really changed my opinion on this, because I don't quite trust the vaccines and I now know that there are very effective treatments (I just hope they're available here).

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

I have a secure job and still I DON"T KNOW, but we as human have to get on the same page if not a secure job or no job will make a difference. We are all interconnected one way or another, directly or indirectly.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

In fact, I have nothing left than a lockdown. If it doesn’t come, the last thing is away too, my life. Do you want that? Yes, of course you do. I know that for decades, when there not even were any such viruses.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

A lockdown is an idiotic idea, has it worked in other countries? Not one bit. Keep everything open and moving, it’s a waste to try and compensate for the 0.0002% of people who will actually get this virus by shutting everything down. More harm than good.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

Don't know the answer to the question. But I do think that those in leadership positions should fullfil their job descriptions, observe and ACT!

They don't know the answer to the question, either!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

foreignbrotherhoodarmy

A lockdown is an idiotic idea, has it worked in other countries? Not one bit. Keep everything open and moving, it’s a waste to try and compensate for the 0.0002% of people who will actually get this virus by shutting everything down. More harm than good.

Not actually correct. Look at NZ, look at Victoria (in Australia). They got the virus to a point where it was at least manageable. The opposite is true: look at the US, which didn't do a stringent lockdown - the devastation they're experiencing on a daily basis is a tragedy.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

I think the problem in the US was mostly their stupid president downplayed the seriousness of the virus and his fan club which is 45% of their population therefore refused to take simple measures like wearing a mask to reduce the risk of infection.

Lockdowns are pretty drastic. I think the best measure is for the government to simply put out the right messages. The people surely have enough brains to think for themselves, right.... right.......

1 ( +4 / -3 )

@RawBeer: my question to you about herd immunity was removed as off topic, but glad you saw it before it was. I was seriously asking if you thought that it was a possibility?

Thanks for answering. I respect your opinions always.

And as I said in other responses, I do not think a full lockdown is needed. People here are compliant and not going into stores yelling and screaming about constitutional rights not to wear a mask...and actually no constitutional law exists like that in any country.

No lockdown please so my friends can keep working.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Who cares?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@SandyBeachHeaven

Very early on, researchers investigating the spread of the virus estimated that the actual infection rate was 10 to 100 times that detected by PCR. And that was done in places where PCR tests were much more wide spread than Japan. We keep on hearing about how you need to satisfy so many conditions to get tested here. Because of that I expect the actual infection rate in Japan to probably be around 100X (if not higher) greater than the number of PCR positives.

So, if we take the 250,000 cases confirmed nationwide so far, I would not be surprised if 25 million people got infected so far in Japan. We got almost 5000 cases nationwide today; that might mean an additional 500,000 infections. These are just rough estimates, but I truly do not expect herd immunity to be all that far away. And I do expect the cases to come down in the not so distant future, with or without lockdowns.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

These are just rough estimates

No, those are nor "rough" estimates, they are baseless and are contrary with the observed evidence, which is why none of the many experts on the topic (Japanese or foreing) think so. You have been expecting herd immunity "in the not so distant future" since 6 months ago and you have been wrong ever since.

"Estimating" that up to a 5th of the population in Tokyo is already immune is just wishful thinking, that would enough to make the current increase of cases impossible (since transmission slows down way before it is interrupted).

If the health experts say one thing based on how the number of cases is increasing, and someone on the internet says the contrary based on imaginary calculations it should be clear who is more likely to be right. Especially when the experts predicted the current increase.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

which is why none of the many experts on the topic (Japanese or foreing) think so.

So, what do the experts say?

Provide something useful, instead of just saying I am wrong.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

what do the experts say?

Provide something useful, instead of just saying I am wrong.

That health services are on danger, that campaigns promoting travel should be suspended, etc. You could try for example reading the articles where you comment here, they say a lot of things. What not even one has said is that Japan is close to herd immunity, which is my point.

Correcting your mistakes should be useful, at least it is for most people whose aim is not to be mistaken or say false things.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I voted 'I don't know'. How would I?

same here. I thought the question was bizarre.

Anyway, this not a divisive issue that should pit the stable against the part timers.

Unfortunately though, that's exactly what's happening here. Deflecting blame onto each other instead of criticizing the people to blame: the LDP

It is the Governments duty to provide assistance and ensure public health.

Absolutely. Unfortunately, we have a gov that is DEVOID of leadership.

If the Government is unable, or in Japan's case unwilling (due to 'O') to do so...and the responsibility falls entirely on the public, then I would argue we no longer need a Government at all.

Good point.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

foreignbrotherhoodarmy

A lockdown is an idiotic idea, has it worked in other countries? Not one bit.

Actually no. New Zealand were able to eliminate the virus through a lockdown.

Keep everything open and moving, it’s a waste to try and compensate for the 0.0002% of people who will actually get this virus by shutting everything down.

Bogus percentage. It is way more infectious than that. And with the more transmissible strain potentially out there, it could turn into a disaster like the UK.

More harm than good.

Not true. Look at the UK. Things are getting out of control, and with the vaccine imminent, best to make sacrifices now for the future.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I can see how it would be way easier for people who have secure jobs and income to call for a lockdown, but that has to be weighed against:

1) the fact that only a minority of people have such jobs, so if a majority of people are making such calls they would have to include a sizeable proportion of people without them;

2) the fact that a lot of people aren't calling for a "lockdown" specifically.

3) the fact that even secure jobs can become unsecure if the economy really turns south.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

What happened to the idea of asking/forcing older people to isolate, asking as many companies to have their employees work from home, but keep most shops open and younger people allowed to roam freely? Young people are the most affected from a lockdown with no upside.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Our local schools are currently closed down due to Covid, but the teachers won't be returning until their pension fund is divested of fossil fuel companies and companies "founded on white supremacy".

There are a lot of reasons why people can't go back to work.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So far 150 jobs gone at the company I used to work for

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Covid has been devastating for my business, and I want a definitive end to it, ASAP.

Half-@ssed measures won't deliver that.

100% this.

I could lose everything tomorrow. With nothing to fall back on; no stocks/shares/inheritance/funny handshakes.

But I want an end to the virus and the deadly misinformation and madness that follows in its wake.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'm still looking for a country that applied lockdown and it was a win-win situation against corona...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I would like to be reincarnated as a civil servant.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I voted no. The longer Covid is allowed to drag on, the bigger the economic damage. This should be more obvious in Japan where propping up zombie companies from the Bubble has resulted in three lost decades. Delaying the pain can just make it many times worse.

I'm from the UK and proper lockdown UK-style means everything closed and only going out for one twenty-minute walk a day. The rest of the time, you are stuck at home, here in your Japan-sized apartment cooped up with the rest of your family. This is an extraordinary situation regardless of whether your income appears stable or not.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@spinningplates

voted 'I don't know'. How would I?

The poll is asking what you think, not what you know. Feel free to give your opinion. There shouldn't even be an "I don't know" option in the poll. "I think I have a test tomorrow" is not the same as "I know I have a test tomorrow." The poll is asking for an opinion, not information. The options should be "Yes" "No" and... nothing else. If you have no opinion, choose neither, and just browse comments.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

If you choose not to decide

You still have made a choice

RUSH

The "I don't know" option is there because the person who made the poll is in the mindset of "ya gotta make some kind of a choice. Ya gotta CHOOSE." So, the "I don't know" choice is there, so EVERYONE can tick a box. Because they must... for some reason.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Runtu DaHilz.

Incorrect. The Poll is asking a direct question, which I answered.

My opinion was simply stated below that.

Cheers.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Talk about a loaded question!

How about asking if its right to do or not?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think some surely do, but I think that most do not, and know it could harm them, but want what's best for the nation and for this end more quickly. It certainly won't by thinking the virus isn't going to strike until just after 7:59 p.m., and only at bars and restaurants.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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